INTERVIEW BY AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF LEGENDARY ARMS WORKS

Recently, we had a conversation with Legendary Arms Works’ sales and marketing executive Walter Hasser, who ﬁlled us in on the Reinholds, Pa.-based (717335-8555; legendaryarmsworks.com) company’s back story and its exciting future plans.American Shooting Journal How did cofounders Mark Bansner and David Dunn team up to get LAW started?

Walter Hasser David and Mark go back a few years, as Mark worked on a few of David’s guns when he was operating Bansner’s Ultimate Riﬂes. After David had been operating a ﬁrearms retail store and indoor range in Pennsylvania for a couple of years, he began noticing the trend of American-manufactured ﬁrearms decreasing in quality and sending products oﬀshore to be produced. He wanted very badly to do something about it and believed, as we all believe today, that a ﬁrearm is something greater than the sum of its parts and deserving of the attention of craftsmen.

Furthermore, a larger portion of the American shooting population should have access to a higher level of quality versus just a handful who can aﬀord a full custom riﬂe. David’s ﬁrst step in realizing his dream was purchasing the M704 design and rights to manufacture from Ed Brown. His second was to form a partnership with the best custom gun builder and share his vision with the country.

Part and parcel to LAW rifles is the company’s unique controlled round-feed system.

ASJ How much did Mark’s passion for hunting inspire him to have his own ﬁrearms company?

WH Mark is an extremely passionate hunter and the type of guy you want in your camp. His ideals and character set him apart, both aﬁeld and in the shop. He likes getting his hands dirty, solving problems, working with people, growing and aﬀecting those around him. And he holds a deep respect for the sport and the industry as a whole. Mark understands the emotional and spiritual experience of hunting big game. As an artisan he holds a heightened sense of how that experience is ampliﬁed when undertaken with a ﬁne instrument. I believe he takes great pride in contributing to that experience for our customers.

ASJ In terms of hunting riﬂes, can you describe some features of your guns and how they can be eﬀective?

WH Our M704 Action design is completely unique. A true controlled round-feed system that also has the luxury of single feeding without ﬁrst depressing a round on the magazine follower is a great advantage in many scenarios. The ﬁxed ejector blade is ruggedly simple and eliminates the common user error of “short stroking” during the cycle of operation, as the spent case will not eject until the bolt is fully cycled. The action is the perfect foundation for the perfect hunting riﬂe – not to mention the precision CNC machining quality and one-piece bolt.

ASJ What is your favorite LAW model and why?

WH “The Professional” is our ﬂagship riﬂe and best seller, and it’s easy to see why once you have it in your hands. The balance is perfect and craftsmanship is unlike any other product in its price bracket. You have the luxury of a fully custom mountain riﬂe in a package for one-third of the price.

ASJ How has LAW evolved over the years and what plans do you have for the future?

WH A very signiﬁcant development you’ll see from us this year is stepping into the realm of tactical and longrange precision riﬂes. To date our product line has been based around hunting riﬂes, but we are not just a hunting riﬂe company. We are a manufacturing company – a small, veteran-owned business with a large veteran workforce committed to bringing great riﬂes and great customer service to a bigger portion of the market than before. We have some very talented folks on our product development team, with backgrounds in law enforcement and the military, along with competitive shooting. This year we’ll be bringing a chassis system to market that I think you’ll love!

Legendary Arms Works is proud of their line of hunting rifles, and the company will soon move into the tactical and long-range fields too.

ASJ Is there anything else you want to say about the LAW brand?

WH We’re very grateful for our customers and the opportunity to manufacture and sell these products into this market and this industry that we all care so deeply for. ASJ 

Editor’s note: For more on Legendary Arms Works, like them at facebook.com/ LegendaryArmsWorks.